Do You Know Your Neighbors? 10 Reasons To Meet Them

Do you know your Neighbors? No? Well perhaps it is time for you to go and meet them, who knows what you are missing out on. Knowing your neighbors has plenty of benefits and in this post I will detail a few of them as well as a couple of ways you can introduce yourself. Who knows, they might turn out to be great people with plenty of similar interests who you end up becoming friends with.

Growing up at my parents house we used to know all the neighbors. It meant that as a kid my brothers and I had a heap of fun playing backyard sports and doing various other activities with all of the other neighborhood children. The environment that I grew up in, where all the neighbors knew each other seemed like something everyone did, it was what I perceived as being “normal”.

One afternoon I was taking a look at the construction work going on at our property, and I spotted a woman walking through the house that was also being built next door. She seemed to be doing the same thing I was doing and so I assumed she must be the owner. As our houses had no walls at this point in time it was easy to see one another and so I called out to her and asked if it was her house that she was building.

It turns out that she was the owner and we ended up becoming pretty good neighbors and friends. When we got to the stage of doing the fencing for our property we also got the opportunity to meet our other neighbors as I wanted to halves in the cost of the fence with them. We didn’t become friends with the other neighbors, but we knew their names and engaged in light conversation with them from time to time.

Over the last few months many of our neighbors had changed and so we found ourselves not really knowing many people in our neighborhood again. To combat this we decided to go around and invite each neighbor over for a barbeque and a few drinks as a sort of get to know your neighbors day. Seeing as we knew the most people in the street and had been there the longest we figured it would be a good idea to regrow our neighborhood group.

In total we had 5 neighbors/families over and everyone seemed to have a good time with our lunch time party continuing past dinner and into the night. The total cost to me was about $150, but knowing my neighbors may end up saving me far more than that one day, so I look at is almost as an investment decision.

10 Benefits of Knowing Your Neighbors

There are plenty of reasons why you should know your neighbors and here are just a few that I can think of:

They can provide transportation or help you out in an emergency situation

Many neighbors like looking after babies and can be great free baby sitters

If you are running low on milk and the shops are shut you might be able to borrow some

Friday & Saturday nights can be a lot more fun having neighbors around to have drinks with

If you and your neighbors have school aged kids then the kids will probably get along and not be as likely to sit inside at home on afternoons and weekends

If you liked this post and want to hear more from me then please consider subscribing.
As always, please leave any comments that you might have below in the comments section. I would love to hear from you.

So Nicholas is only a few weeks old and you are already looking for ways to ship him off to play dates or be baby sat so you can go out haha! Neighbors are great for all you describe, after living in big cities where neighbors were scared of each other I appreciate getting to meet mine around here, and they have proved very helpful. No more anonymity though!Pauline recently posted..Friday recap, some sun and 7 random facts

It’s so important to know your neighbors, even if you only chat in passing. For a lot of the reasons on your list, but also because it’s the polite thing to do! If you were sitting in an office, would you never go meet your cubicle-mate next door? That’s just odd!

Unless you like being a cave dweller, I can’t really think of very many good reasons NOT to get to know the people you live near. They are your community and – as you point out – can be a great support network! Plus it just makes neighborhood walks, Halloween, association meetings, etc that much better.

I knew one of my neighbors really well, but they just moved. No one is living in their home yet. Our other neighbor is a rental and the tenants move in and out that we cannot keep up. We don’t live in the best neighborhood, so getting to know our neighbors is not really important to me. When we move into a better neighborhood, then I will be sure to meet and befriend our neighbors.Grayson @ Debt RoundUp recently posted..Want to Save Money? Here Are 13 Ways!

We have been lucky to have had some wonderful neighbors. Our favorite ones are an older couple. Our parents don’t live near us and their daughter and grand-daughter don’t live near them, so we usually end up spending holidays together if we are both home. They have also babysat and we trade pet sitting duties. We also have a 13 year old who lives across the street who is great sitter as well. I like that her mom is just across the street if they need anything. Good neighbors are a huge bonus.Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..Does Being Rude Get You Further in Life?

We don’t know our neighbors very well, and don’t have anything in common with our immediate neighbors (we’re 20-something DINKs, to one side is a family with 6 young kids, to the other are retired siblings) but we found that moving into our house, our older neighbors gave us some history on the house, the neighborhood and even some of the city quirks, which is another benefit for new homeowners.Rachel recently posted..Happy Valentine’s Day!

“They might have tools that you can borrow” An older couple lives across the street from me and made us cookies when we first moved in. They were so happy that someone was living in (and taking care of…) the house. He also said he has “collected quite a few tools over the years” and I can ask him if I need anything. Probably should make more of a habit of that since I have spent probably $500-$1,000 on tools since moving in :0DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted..5 Things I Wish I Had More Time For

It is peculiar living in a four-unit apartment because our neighbors are constantly changing. Also there is just a general awkward bonding there when you can clearly hear those 2 a.m. brawls and other colorful activities between the couple upstairs (and then politely pretend, of course, that you haven’t heard a peep).Jennifer Lynn recently posted..How spendy was your weekend?

It is difficult when people move on quickly. That is the problem we have with one of our neighbors, the land lord keeps jacking up the rent and so we have a fairly high turnover of neighbors on that side.

Good post Glen! It can be such a benefit to know your neighbors. I remember growing up we were constantly doing things with our neighbors and many of them were very good friends that we still keep in contact with. We don’t have that ourselves today, but do know quite a few of them. It can definitely be worth it in the long run, you never know until you step out of your comfort zone and say hi to someone.John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Taking the Plunge: Why I Love Being Self-Employed

This is so funny because in the house I grew up in we literally had the same neighbors on both sides and across the street for about 16 years of me living there before moving out and aside from hi, bye, happy new year and similar we barley ever spoke. My neighborhood never had the “block party” feel to it and it didnt help that growing up my house was one of the few that had young kids. Nonetheless, they were great neighbors, no complaints, everyone worked really hard to keep their properties in pristine condition and it showed.Edgar@ Degrees and Debt recently posted..Infographic: Credit Report 101

We moved a few months ago so we’re not as familiar as we really should be with the neighbours yet. The ones we had at our last place were brilliant though. There hadn’t been a burglary on the street in 10 years which sort of proves your point about the security benefits of knowing your neighbours. I was also forever borrowing tools from a great neighbour and he even gave me a regular supply of free wood for our wood burner.Money Bulldog recently posted..Starting A Business ~ The Dangers Of Under Pricing

Like you I grew up in a neighbourhood where everyone knew each other. We lived in the same house all of our lives, my father still lives there and he always told us kids how important it is to be friends with your neighbours.
The first house that I owned was in a small circle of 7 houses, all brand new. We did get to know most everyone there and enjoyed it. Actually am still friends with one of them. In our current house we have chatted with 4 other neighbours. We find that we tend to speak with them a bit more in the summer when doing more work outside.Tackling Our Debt recently posted..Get Fit By Gaming Giveaway

We currently live in a court and are the youngest homeowners by a few decades. We help our neighbors out by shoveling their snow and I borrowed a hand truck once. Other than that though we really haven’t had too much of an opportunity to meet many of our neighbors except the people immediately next door, who loaned us the hand truck (I think that’s what you call a dolly in Australia).Justin@TheFrugalPath recently posted..In Debt and Out of Ideas? Draw Your Purchases.

Great post Glen. I have the best relationship with my neighbors; we will do anything for each other, BUT we don’t feel the need to small talk and keep up-to-date on everything all the time. I can leave my house and give them a little salute and it’s cool. Hey, that’s just me…but it works!Tony@WeOnlyDoThisOnce recently posted..Why Simple and Frugal Wins Every Time

I have to admit that I’m kind of bad at meeting my neighbors. I’m a bit of an introvert who was raised by severe introverts, so the whole getting to know people thing doesn’t come naturally.

In the last city I where I lived, I rented an apartment in a complex full of students. It was cheap and post-docs don’t make very much. Especially if they want to keep their savings rate up. Long story short, the neighbors changed over yearly and I only really got to know one guy.

Before that I lived in an apartment in a different city for quite some time. I did get to know some of those neighbors well. I even helped one lady fix her key. I have no idea how, but it got bent out of shape so it couldn’t fit in the lock.

That’s one of the reasons I love where I live right now, because I know so many of my neighbors, and I even have one good friend who lives right next door. There is just something very comforting about that, especially when you are a single girl living alone.Budget and the Beach recently posted..Budgeters Anonymous

I think my next door neighbours are drug dealers. It is a multi-generational household and the teenager who was dealing drugs has left the house. I am still not sure if one of the two brothers has taken up the business. They all go about their days and nights in a sneaky manor and do not answer the door even when there is an emergency or the police are the ones doing the door pounding.

I am friendly with the other neighbours because we are all trying to keep an eye on the one bad house. The police are very aware because one of them lives across the street and 2 houses down.

We used to have a number of good friends in the neighborhood.. We would hang out regularly and our kids would all play.. Unfortunately, several families recently moved out and the replacement neighbors just seem to have no interest in building a community at all.. This is one of the major reasons that my wife and I are looking to relocate.Jefferson @SeeDebtRun recently posted..The Tortoise and the Hare

Having moved into a house last December and having experienced a couple of crazy snowstorms, it helps to know the neighbours with snow blowers! You get to meet some of the neighbours when you’re out shovelling the snow and a couple of them have been nice enough to help me shovel my super long driveway!MakintheBacon$ recently posted..Gender Mix: Guys and Gals in the Workplace

Good Post. I never thought of meeting my neighbors but after reading this I can see the benefits. In the past the communities like you describe in your neighborhood was the bedrock of our society. It seems we have lost that now.Kevin Watts recently posted..PLUS Loans – Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students

Our downstairs neighbors are insane, but when we were hit by the hurricane it was nice to know that there were other people in the building if we needed something. They have a mean dog that torments our dog, so we wouldn’t ask them to dog sit, but if we needed milk or something I know they’d oblige.KK @ Student Debt Survivor recently posted..My Secret For Paying off $30K in Student Loan Debt

I really wish I knew my neighbors but its just not that sort of town really. There’s not really that much community spirit and I think people would possibly be a bit freaked out if I just went round their home and introduced myself. Its a shame really.Finance Inspired recently posted..Avoiding Debt: A Holiday Challenge

Glen, great post. In our old neighborhood, very few of the neighbors even talked to each other – it was just weird, living with people for over 10 years and everyone mostly kept to themselves. Here though, it’s a much different story: more of a community where everyone works to get to know each other and socialize. You’re right: its very important for a number of reason!Laurie @thefrugalfarmer recently posted..“Ya See, That’s What I Wanna Talk to You About”

‘sorry, I’m simply not into small talk, so I prefer to keep my distance. There are times we all chat, and if there’s an emergency or celebration we’ll all bind together, but overall chatter is time consuming. Usually I need to focus on projects sans interruption. I meet many artists who feel this way, most of them upfront about not wanting to be distracted.

“I guess you don’t want to take
advantage as well. It is one thing to
borrow something occasionally, but it
is another to do it all the time and be
a nuisance.”
I really like what you said there….. You see we are new in our neighbourhood (just four months) and I think we have a parasitic neighbor who keeps knocking every now and then asking for one thing or another! I believe one of these days, this lady is going to ask me to borrow her my husband eventhou she have hers!(Ya…. Bitter truth) am so sad and already wishing I never choose this place, eventhou I love the neigbourhood…….

I don’t know many of my neighbors. It’s difficult, since I live in an apartment and almost everyone speaks a different language! I will try to meet more of them since they can be real life savers. Honestly, one of my neighbors saved my life. I have seizures, and fell in the driveway. She got me out of the way so none of the cars would hit me. Since I have seizures, it’s not safe to get out much. I remember the good old days when everyone knew everyone. I could babysit on a Friday night and make $20.00! That much money went a long way in the 1970’s. Wish I knew more of my neighbors, but can’t get out much.

Most Popular

Disclaimer

I am not a financial expert. Information published on this website has been prepared for general entertainment / informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice to any particular person. Any information contained on this web page is general in nature and does not take into account any person’s particular investment objectives, financial situation or individual needs.

Before making an investment decision based on this information you should consider, with or without the assistance of a qualified adviser, whether it is appropriate to your particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.

As a result, readers are encouraged to seek professional advice before making any major decisions. www.monsterpiggybank.com or its writers cannot be held liable for any loss or damages that result of advice or tips on www.monsterpiggybank.com.